Tag: Sagada

Mountain Province: Sagada’s Hanging Coffins, Burial Caves and Rituals for the Dead

Post author By Ferdz
Post date June 27, 2011
No Comments on Mountain Province: Sagada’s Hanging Coffins, Burial Caves and Rituals for the Dead

The Photo Tour group only has a full day to go around Sagada. While I think that’s a short time to really appreciate the place, it is still possible to see some key sites in Sagada. If you were to ask me which places to see when in Sagada for a day, the Sagada Hanging Coffins and the Burial Caves would be on top since that is the heart of the culture of Sagada. While this funeral rite is not unique in the Philippines as there are other indigenous people from China and Indonesia who also hang their coffins by the cliffs, Sagada is the only place where you one could see these Hanging Coffins in the Philippines.

Tags Culture, Hanging Coffins, People, Sagada, Traditions

Mountain Province Mountain Province Mountains Philippines Travel

Mountain Province: Sagada’s Cinematic Sunrise at Kiltepan Viewpoint

Post author By Ferdz
Post date June 23, 2011
No Comments on Mountain Province: Sagada’s Cinematic Sunrise at Kiltepan Viewpoint

Sunrise over at Kiltepan Peak in Sagada, Mountain Province

I was amused when I saw this dog from Rock Inn, the place where we were staying, running in front of our jeep as we rode up the dirt road towards the Kiltepan Viewpoint. He was panting heavily with his tongue ridiculously hanging from his wide open mouth when we got there but I thought it was really nice to have a dog as a personal escort. It was already bright when reached the viewpoint and I saw the dog continue on to the cliff-side of the peak where a few people were already waiting for the sunrise. He soon sandwiched himself in between a couple as they waited for the sun to reveal itself behind the mountains.

Tags Photo Tour, Rice Terraces, Sagada, Sunrise

Events Mountain Province Mountain Province Philippines Travel

All Saint’s Day 2008

I was digging through my archives on some photos I could find in relation to Halloween. I found some old 2005 photos that I still haven’t posted here. It would seem I’ve been posting Sagada every All Saint’s Day on this site. Perhaps because I find their traditional practice still interesting at this time when I find Filipino Halloween practices being more modern and commercial with lots of western influences coming in.

Tags Culture, Sagada, Traditions

Mountain Province Mountain Province Philippines Travel

Checking up on Sagada

Sagada’s new Municipal Hall Construction

Some people may ask why I feature destinations abroad whereas the Philippines has a lot of tourists attractions that can rival other countries as well. Why not promote what’s ours? It’s true that we have a number of world-class attractions that we can be proud of. But venturing outside our own country also gives us a wider perspective and see more potential in our country beyond our myopic vision when we are stuck here. We see practices and conditions which can help both our thriving local tourism industry as well. Our visit to Sagada recently was prompted by our recent visit to Sapa, Vietnam. These two places are quite similar with the later being more sophisticated, engulfed by modernization which had us worried about the present condition of our beloved Sagada.

Tags People, Sagada, Structures, Town

Benguet Mountain Province Philippines Road Trip Travel

Transit: Going to Sagada

Sagada Bus Window at Halsema Highway

(Updated June 26, 2011) Once in a while, I miss long road trips. Riding at the bus for hours on the road. Come night you rest comfortably at your seat and let the rocking motion of the bus cradle you to sleep. That may also be one reason what drew me back in Sagada last I went there. It’s the road journey itself. And the highlands is the perfect destination for it. Even if the bus doesn’t have air conditioning, most times packed on their crammed little seats, the cool mountain air blowing from the window, the bucolic back country panoramas sliding in front of your eyes is enough to satiate my crave to hit the road and travel.

Tags Baguio, Banaue, Bus, Sagada, Transit

Mountain Province Mountain Province Philippines Travel

Sagada: Morning Unwind

Sagada Morning View

First off all, my sincerest thanks to all those who greeted me on my birthday last week. My apologies if I couldn’t reply back earlier. Braving the category four storm, Marce on the night of my birthday, September 11, was a bit of an extemporaneous decision. Somehow I wanted my birthday to be different this time around. So after dinner with my family, I called up my friend Lagal[og] and dragged him on a road trip up north to Sagada.

Tags Sagada

Festivals Mountain Province Mountain Province Philippines Travel

All Saints Day at the highlands

Post author By Ferdz
Post date November 1, 2006
No Comments on All Saints Day at the highlands

Light a fire for the souls

Light a fire for the souls

I noticed since I was young, Halloween here in the Philippines has been greatly influenced by the American culture. Adorned in many houses especially in subdivisions, are numerous decorations from pumpkins, spiders, cobwebs and the usual monsters we grew up liking to fear like Dracula, Frankenstein, witches and the local mix of Aswangs, tikbalan, manananggal and white ladies. Those talk of ghost and other supernatural phenomenon that seems to populate our TV screens and print media whenever Halloween approaches have waned my interest recently. I used to like them growing up.

Tags All Saints Day, Cordilleras, Events, People, Sagada